


Deductions in Time & Space

by AsgardianHorsemanship



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 07:21:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3372707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsgardianHorsemanship/pseuds/AsgardianHorsemanship
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock is dragged back from dismantling Moriarty's network for a case that is threatening the world. He is thrust into a world of superheroes, aliens and magic and it is all he can do to stay alive, let alone comprehend what is happening. Can he help find the Tesseract and stop Loki before Loki stops him? Eventual Sherlock/Loki will do side chapters for those not interested in it</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. National Importance

"Found you dear brother." Came a drawling voice in his ear, the voice of a man he had been trying to hide from, his older brother, Mycroft Holmes. "The holiday is over, time to come home."

Chapter 1 – National Importance

"You look much better now Sherlock." Chided Mycroft as he walked into the room, clean shaven and washed.

"Now will you tell me why you have brought me back? I would like to know why you interrupted my work! I haven't even been dead a few damned weeks." Sherlock growled.

"Yes, I am sorry but I couldn't bear to look at you when you were pretending to be a Neanderthal." Mycroft sighed.

"The Neanderthal look kept me from being found out." He snapped back, footsteps came from behind him and two secret service agents came up behind him, or so he thought until he looked closer.

Americanised clothing, latex suits, weapons on display. Arrogant stance and movement, no sunglasses. He curled his lip up as he looked them over.

"Americans, you're not the CIA, who are you?"

"No sir, we're not." A voice said that did not come from either man with a thick American accent, both stepped aside and their imposing figures were made even more imposing by the person who walked between them. Short, balding, suited and wearing sunglasses, the agent stepped past the other two to stand in front of them.

"Mr Holmes, I have heard a lot about you." He held out his hand with a very peculiar look on his face.

"It's not like an agent to get star struck… What is going on here, who are you people?"

The smile faltered on the agent's face and he dropped his hand. "My name is Agent Phil Coulson and I work for SHIELD, you need to come with us Mr Holmes."

"SHIELD?" Sherlock turned round to his brother and gave him a questioning look.

"I'm just the messenger boy this time Sherlock, they need you, it is a matter of-"

"National Importance?" Sherlock mused.

"International Importance." Mycroft lowered his gaze, bringing his nose out of the air; his look gave a warning to Sherlock. This was bad, Moriarty was child's play compared to this.

Sherlock turned back to the men.

"Where are we going?"

"Manhattan Mr Holmes, now please come with us." Coulson swept past the two larger agents who flanked him as he walked out of the room, Sherlock and Mycroft followed behind cautiously.

"What is going on Mycroft, this is not your normal everyday matter of international importance?" Sherlock hissed through his teeth at Mycroft as they dropped back slightly from the men.

"I'm sorry Sherlock, I cannot tell you, the world is in danger Sherlock, and I do mean the world. There are things in this world you know nothing about and what you will see over the course of this case is going to challenge everything you know or thought you knew. Do not get lost in your mind when the time comes Sherlock, you are going to be placed into real danger this time."

"Are you saying Moriarty was not 'real danger'?" He worked to keep his voice low as they walked up a set of stairs that led to the roof."You don't know the half of it dear brother. Promise me you'll be careful."

"Sentiment." Sherlock used it like a curse word, but his gaze soften on Mycroft as they stopped on the roof of the building where a helicopter was waiting.

"Look after John for me, keep him safe." Sherlock went to walk away but felt a tug on his coat.

"I always have, but Sherlock…" Sherlock turned back to Mycroft to see the man losing his calm exterior. "If this does not go well, come home, what ever it takes, come back to John and your family. Do not stay out there when the world ends."

"The world ends? What are you talking about Mycroft? What do you know?!" He sucked in a breath, trying not to let Mycroft's silly emotions affect him.

"Be safe brother." Mycroft let go of his coat as the helicopter rotors started to turn, Sherlock pulled his coat up to his face and hurried away and into the helicopter where the agents were waiting. He shouted over the noise to try and get them to speak to him, but all he got was cryptic sentences back as they lifted off the helipad and up into the sky.

A short helicopter ride took them to London Heathrow Airport, where they were ushered into a blacked out windowed car and out to a private jet. During the long hours of the flight Sherlock tried to figure out what he could, the agents would not allow him any details of the case, saying it would need to be explained by another. He gazed over the men with focused eyes, allowing himself to look bored and careless whilst inside his head he was working hard.

When the plane finally touched down Sherlock felt like he was made of wood from sitting in the seats for hours in silence.

They were met by a large military carrier craft, where Sherlock was introduced to a man named Captain Steve Rogers whom Agent Coulson was acting frighteningly like a little girl around, Sherlock made a mental note for later. He was told the Captain was an experimental soldier who was a lot older than he looked, Sherlock tried not to roll his eyes at the casual way they spoke about things that were impossible, just in passing as if he was in on their little jokes. The two men merely nodded at each other and Sherlock sat down to deduce what he could from this Captain whilst he and Coulson spoke. They taken out of Manhattan and onto the open water, they alighted on a floating aircraft base as other crafts dropped down to join them.

After exiting the fanciful craft to stand upon an even more fanciful base Sherlock was getting more and more agitated by being kept in the dark. It seemed everyone but he had been informed about why they were here and he was beginning to wonder if it was just because he was British and the Americans were embarrassed to have had to call on Britain to help once more.

He was introduced to a Russian woman called Natasha Romanov who was some form of assassin, her low tolerance attitude and over confident nature suggested she had been in a lot of trouble in her younger years, but before Sherlock could do too much observing, or listening to the talk of Agent Coulson's Captain America Trading Cards (It was all Sherlock could do not to laugh) he was introduced to a very interesting specimen indeed. Twitchy, nervous, shuffling about and rubbing his hands together was one Doctor Banner, a man trying very hard to hide a secret. He caught Sherlock's rapt attention immediately, making him think better of this case so far, he as definitely the most interesting human he had met yet.

Romanov came up behind them and the look on her face made Sherlock instantly brace himself, something big and disconcerting was about to happen. Right on queue the engines on the floating platform roared into life and the base rocked precariously in the water. Sherlock checked his surroundings quickly, noting the perimeter of the boat, the way it was made and he had a distinct feeling he was missing something, he saw the straps and rings in the platform's floor, heavy duty doors and airlocks, saw the way the runways were made and the men pulling on oxygen masks, a thought dawned upon him, it can fly! People started to run left and right, securing anything out on the deck as the three men walked forwards to look over the edge and into the water. The platform lurched underneath their feet as great engines made whirlpools before lifting out of the water. The sickening wrench he felt at his stomach as they rose up into the air clawed at Sherlock, trying to diminish his outer calm and he forced himself to step back from the edge. He and tall edges did not go well together.

They were taken into a large room filled half way round with a glass screen so that you could see the open ocean underneath you. Computers of all shapes and sizes as well as screens and other forms of technology Sherlock had not encountered before lined the front portion of the room and in the middle was a small platform where a very imposing man was standing. He had an eye patch on and an expression of ice, his face gave the impression of a man who had seen terrible things and the commanding presence that gave Sherlock no doubt that he was the leader here.

Captain Rogers walked forwards and gave the man a $10 bill, a source of some form of bet no doubt, and then went to inspect the bridge as Banner walked around inspecting all the doors and guards. Sherlock raised an eyebrow at him but kept his deductions to himself as he faced the man who had the answers to his questions.

He shook both their hands and introduced himself to Sherlock as Nick Fury, leader of SHIELD, a top secret agency for keeping the world safe from non terrestrial threats. Sherlock stood there for a moment, trying his hardest not to scoff and wondering if this was Mycroft's punishment for faking his own death and disappearing. Banner asked Fury about something called a 'Tesseract' and told them they needed to use 'spectrometers' to find it. His eyes flicked to Romanov who was flicking through a man's file, concern hidden on her face, but not well enough to fool Sherlock. Her whole posture screamed of the emotional turmoil she was fighting inside.

Romanov took Banner away to his very own laboratory and Sherlock was left trying his best not to look bewildered.

"I imagine you have some questions you want answered Mr Holmes." Fury rounded on him, a look of contempt on his face.

"I'll let you start." Sherlock replied coolly.

"My agents and I have been working on using the powers of the Tesseract, a stand alone energy source found at the bottom of the ocean."

"Stand alone, as in self powered? But that is impossible." Sherlock hoped he didn't sound confused.

"To someone like you, yes. The Tesseract is not only an energy force but a portal, something came through that portal. SHIELD monitors and controls extra terrestrial encounters that happen on our planet, do you watch the news Mr Holmes?"

Sherlock stayed silent, watching this curious man, his mind running through many possibilities and conclusions, mainly that the man was crazy or that he was knocked out somewhere in Europe.

"You may remember a couple of years ago a town in America was levelled in a day and no one could figure out what happened. An alien force had entered Earth and fought on our soil, destroying a whole town in the process. We had to cover it up."

"Aliens, how delightfully childish, what is really going on."

"No one is being childish Mr Holmes, you have been brought her as our world is under threat. As of right now, whilst everyone you know is sipping tea and eating crumpets," Sherlock sniffed at the stereotyping, though, he could really do with a cup of tea right now, "the world is at war with an unknown alien threat. SHIELD headquarters was recently destroyed when an alien being by the name of Loki came through the Tesseract and stole it, he has declared that he will take over our planet and brainwashed some of our top minds to help him do it. We need to find the Tesseract and his plans for it, than Mr Holmes is where you come in. They say you can solve any case, find any missing thing and prove things that can't be proven, am I mistaken?"

"You aren't, no."

"Then you will have to believe what I say, you'll soon see either way."

Sherlock stepped off the platform and over to the window, his mind working furiously to disentangle this puzzle and find the facts and separate them, surely they were covering up for something. He scanned the room a few times, picking out things that seemed important, including the layout, every door and every guard.

Before too long urgent beeping had started. 'We got a hit!' came a voice of a man at one of the computers.

Fury dismissed the Captain and turned to Sherlock. "Are you ready to see the truth in my words Detective?"


	2. Gods Don't Exist

The flight in the military jet was an uncomfortable one for Sherlock. He was sitting in the midst of a man in a spangly blue suit embellished with the American colours and a fancy shield, an assassin whose clothes couldn't get tighter unless they were painted onto her skin, an Agent who was practically drooling over spangly suit and jumped up military agents.

He felt all together like he was in some kind of comic book and the thought amused him to no end but also made him very uncomfortable, he was expecting a camera to jump out at any moment and for Mycroft to scream 'Gotcha!'

The craft slowed down and he got up to peer over Romanov's shoulder as she manned the craft, they were in Germany and in front of them was a very curious sight. A large crowd of people were on their knees and were flanked in all four corners by men dressed in what had to be the most stylishly tasteless get up Sherlock had ever seen. The men were wearing bronze helmets with large horns protruding from them, long green capes, brass fittings and leather clad under it all, they were all holding large staffs emitting a blue glow not unlike the colour of the Tesseract, as he watched on he could swear the men where emitting small flickers of light. At the head of this strange procession was a man in the same uniform avidly talking to the kneeling men and women, as the craft slowed to a halt a man stood up and faced him.

"Captain, now!" Shouted Romanov without taking her eyes off the scene in front of them.

"Who are they Agent Romanov." Sherlock whispered in her ear.

"Not they, he. There is only one of them, the others are magical projections of the one standing at the head of the crowd."

Sherlock snorted and she shot him a dark look before the man's staff started to glow ominously, he moved his arm as if to thrust the spear at the man and a bolt of light shot from the staff. Sherlock grabbed the chair as he watched, not even a split second had passed and the Captain was in front of the man, shield raised, the bolt hit the shield and deflected back into the man with the staff who was knocked to his feet.

Not trusting his voice Sherlock merely watched on, eyes wide, as they pulled the craft closer to the man. Romanov opened a voice link and called for the man, who was apparently Loki, to stand down. A blue light shot at the craft from the staff and Sherlock was thrown into the side of the craft as she dodged it. He righted himself, holding onto the chair tighter this time as a fight ensued.

Romanov tried to get closer to get a lock on the man but before she could the voice link was overridden by what sounded like, yes, it was rock music.

"Agent Romanov," came an American voice over the speakers, "miss me?"

Romanov smirked as the music volume was turned up and blasted out of the craft, Sherlock barely saw the figure shoot out from the sky. Both Loki and the Captain looked up in time to see Loki blasted by a white light from the figure. Loki was barrelled across the floor as a red and gold metal suited figure dropped onto the floor and raised his hand.

Loki sat up as the two men approached him, Sherlock barely believed what he saw when the man's armour disappeared from him in a wavering light. He must be using projectors, possibly on the buildings around him. Loki raised his hands and surrendered, much to Romanov and indeed Sherlock's surprise. There was no possible way the man they had just seen fighting could give up so easily, especially not the man he had been told about by Fury. This case was getting ever more twisted as it wore on but Sherlock knew one thing for sure. This man had planned this all along and they were giving him exactly what he wanted.

Loki was brought onto the craft and sat down, secured into a seat. Sherlock was introduced to the man in the suit, Tony Stark, who was apparently a really famous super hero.

"Super Heroes don't exist." Sherlock had scoffed at them.

"After all you've just seen do you really believe that?" Romanov said loudly to him.

"Magic tricks and technology don't impress me Agent Romanov."

"Well good, we weren't trying to impress you your highness." A sarcastic Stark clapped him on the shoulder with his metal plated hand and nearly sent him flying. "Oops sorry princess." He grinned.

Romanov shot him a look that said 'he does this to everyone' before turning to speak to the brightly coloured men.

Sherlock sat down a few seats away opposite the imprisoned man and watched him closely. He had long hair, slicked back from his face and an air of arrogance that even in his quiet state could not be contained. He stared straight back at the detective, his eyes doing the grinning for him. Sherlock tried not to be unnerved by the stare and got to work, what he saw was a mess of insecurities.

The man in front of him was lonely, by far the loneliest man Sherlock had ever encountered, including himself. He was an unwanted man, a burden. There was a troubled past hidden under the arrogant surface and a longing for acceptance. Sherlock raised an eyebrow and looked back at the others who were conversing quietly.

"Daddy issues?" Sherlock whispered to the man, whose eyes widened and he balled his fists up in his restraints before slamming himself forward into his harness, trying to get at Sherlock. "Bingo."

Stark noticed and came over to them. "What did you say to reindeer games here?"

"I asked him a question he didn't like."

"Don't provoke the prisoner please Mr Holmes." Called Rogers from the front of the plane.

"You brought me here to deduce, so I am deducing."

"Is that what you're doing here Great Detective?" Sherlock looked back to Loki to see him staring intently at him.

"I still don't rightly know why I am here, all I know is your tea is terrible and it is too hot." Sherlock tried to avoid questions whilst the others were watching, he wanted to examine this man more, he couldn't do so with the others interrupting.

"I have to agree there, well, about the heat part. I do not know what 'tea' is. Asgard is always warm, but this heat is insufferable."

"Says Mr Rock Star sporting all leather, maybe you should tone it down a little." Said Stark.

"Says the man in the bright red metal suit?" Loki raised both eyebrows at him, trying to look completely innocent.

"Don't hate, it's not my fault you're too young to grow facial hair and have to wear that get up to make yourself feel older." He snapped back easily

"Young? I am nearly 2,000 years old! Your confidence is inspiring, but you are clearly misjudging me."

"How could a man be 2,000 years old." Sherlock said, not posing it as a question, but as a statement.

"I am not a man Detective Holmes, have you not deduced that yet? In all your great wisdom you are still so unwise to the world around you. I am Loki, rightful King of Asgard, I come from a galaxy far from your universe and I am here on Midgard to rule your people."

"Wonderful, say that again but this time make it believable." Sherlock barely had time to take a breath to hold as Loki answered, but this time, it was not Loki who answered.

"Does this body fair me better? It feels so weak and tiny, but there is power, such power in these veins." He touched his hand to his hair and pushed the mop back from his face as he looked into Sherlock's eyes. Sherlock looked back into his, which were now identical to the detective's, as was the man who held his gaze. "Not sure about the hair though."

"Optical illusions are easy to do." Sherlock held his voice steady, but it still came out too quickly. Loki smirked and Sherlock felt giddy seeing his body doing actions he wasn't in control of.

Stark and Rogers watched on, slightly amused.

"Why don't you try it Detective?" Loki flicked his hand towards Sherlock from his restraints and Sherlock felt a curious tingle go through his body. He looked down at his hands to see another mans, his arms clad in leather. He raised a hand to his face, feeling the unfamiliar shapes and ran it through his hair, now past shoulder length, he pulled it in front of his eyes and swallowed hard.

"You two suit each other, both have the same cheekbones, its adorable don't you think Captain?" Stark grinned as he watched and the Captain merely twitched a lip in response.

"Stop it, how are you doing this?"

"I told you, I am not from here. I am a god." Loki's form shimmered and returned to his own.

"Gods don't exist."

"Oh but they do, have you ever heard of Norse Mythology Detective?"

As a matter of fact, Sherlock had read into it in great lengths for a case. His mind reeled through file upon file until it hit the one it needed. Loki, God of Mischief from Norse Mythology.

"You're telling me you're a Norse God?"

"No, just a god, our race used to be worshipped by yours as their deities, we are written into your history so well and yet people have forgotten us just as easily. With our abilities in strength, speed and magic your people were in awe of our power."

"So if you are Loki, your father must be Odin?" Loki started and Sherlock curled his lips into a small smile. "Like I said, Daddy Issues. This is what it is all about."

"King Odin is not my father."

"Then how are you the rightful King of Asgard?"

Loki leant back from his restraints and Sherlock felt the tingle again, he looked down to see his hands were his again and had to catch himself before he sighed with relief. Sherlock went to speak again but was silenced by Captain Rogers, who took a place opposite Loki.

"Enough games, tell us what you know."

"Oh, you'll have to try harder than that soldier."

The ride back to base was slow and it wasn't helped by the darkening, clouded skies threatening a storm. How much time had passed Sherlock couldn't be sure. They had tried to interrogate Loki, but he had given nothing but sarcasm and quips in reply.

Sherlock never took his eyes off the man, the 'god'. The things he was picking up on, this man was so broken and alone, cast out, overlooked and forgotten. Sherlock felt a small tug of pity for the man, who was reminding him of his days alone before he had known what friendship was. He waited until the men were deep in conversation again before sliding over so he was opposite Loki.

"You can keep up the arrogant pretences with the muscle over there, but you're not fooling me." He hissed.

"So if they are the muscle, does that make you the brain Detective?" He drawled.

"Why have you come here?"

"Must I repeat myself again? I know not how much more of this pointless repetitive interrogation I can take."

"Then give us the answers."

"I am here to take over the world."

"Very very retro bond movies feeling here." Loki cocked his head at Sherlock and Sherlock ignored him. "So what, they're super heroes and you're a… Super villain?"

"I suppose I am. Does that excite you Detective? No more run of the mill criminals, no, not even a mastermind could match a god."

"Just remember that super heroes always win, global domination never works out. Good triumphs."

"Do you really believe that?"

Sherlock blinked at looked at him, before standing up and joining the other men.

As they flew past snowy capped mountains in the darkness lightning erupted from the sky, lighting up the sky and scenery below.

"Where's this coming from?" Agent Romanov watched skies anxiously.

Sherlock sat back down in a seat and watched Loki, whose calm demeanour suddenly changed to one of fear.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Rogers jibed.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows." Loki admitted with a resigned look on his face and a sarcastic edge to his voice.

Suddenly a large sound vibrated through the craft as something heavy struck the outside, Loki looked like someone who was waiting for something and Sherlock kept his eyes fixed on him. Stark put his mask back on and opened the carrier door, onto which a tall figure struck. Loki sucked in a breath and balled his fist as Stark was struck in the chest by what seemed to be a giant hammer. The man came into the light, as tall and broad as an oak tree, golden hair tumbled from his head and blue eyes that matched Loki's in their intensity observed the crafts interior quickly. He was plated with armour from head to foot and a long red cape billowed out behind him, without another word he snatched Loki up, snapping the restraints as if they were made of paper, and leapt from the plane swinging his hammer in his hand.

As the others suited up and sprang into action Sherlock could only sit there, an image burned into his mind that matched something he had seen before. Loki, God of Mischief, brother of Thor, God of Thunder. He wasn't lying.


	3. The Avengers

Stark followed the two Gods out of the plane, and close behind them was Rogers, jumping out in a parachute as Romanov tried to stop them. She looked back over to Sherlock and shrugged before turning the craft around and following them.

"Where are they!" Romanov said through gritted teeth as she searched the dark skies, Sherlock watched through the screen over her shoulder when some lights caught his eye.

"There, over there!" He pointed as a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and into a clearing in the forest below, she steered the craft slowly, watching the surroundings for any sign of danger as Sherlock watched the shots of light increase.

Something dropped out of the sky, Rogers at a guess, and joined in the fight. All Sherlock could make out was shots of light and sparks as hammer hit metal, until a great clashing sound broke through the silence and the craft was flung back in the air as it was buffeted by wind and sound alike, alarms sounded and red lights flashed inside the craft and Sherlock wished nothing more that he was on solid ground at that moment. As Romanov got the craft under control she managed to take it down to the clearing where the three men were facing each other off.

"Where is Loki?" She called out over the intercom system and Thor pointed to a cliff face, she looked over, turning a bright light on outside the craft and pointed it. Loki was sitting there with a look of glee on his face; he shielded his eyes as the light hit him and waved sarcastically.

Romanov set the craft down and Sherlock opened the hatch, Rogers came in none the worse for wear, Stark on the other hand was scuffed and battered and looking thoroughly unsatisfied. A few minutes more and Thor appeared, dragging Loki who seemed to really be enjoying himself.

"It is so wise to put us all in this metal container together?" He spat as he was thrown down into another seat and restrained. Thor ignored him and looked around before walking over to Romanov.

"I am Thor Odinson of Asgard, Loki is my brother."

"I know who you are; we have been monitoring you since the first encounter."

"I am sorry that my brother causes so much trouble for your people, Midgard is under my protection and I will not let his evil schemes continue."

"Midgard?" Rogers asked.

"It is known as Earth to your people." Thor said darkly.

"You're doing a bang up job there God of Thunder." Stark retorted.

"Do not provoke me metal man."

"Put down the hammer and lets see how good your armour is?"

"Enough! Can we get back to base in one piece and without losing the prisoner!" Romanov shouted and everyone fell silent.

Sherlock sat back down and watched Loki again, filing every single detail of his behaviour away ready for when it was needed.

"I don't know about your planet Detective, but where I come from it is rude to stare."

"I'm recording information."

"Is that so?" Loki trailed off as Thor approached and sat down next to him, hammer in hand.

"Who are you?" Thor watched Sherlock closely.

"Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective."

Thor looked at him blankly.

"He solves puzzles brother." Loki sighed.

"I wouldn't put it so plainly, I am hired to solve cases, murder, kidnapping, that sort of thing."

"So why are you here?"

"I keep asking myself the same thing."

When they touched down on the base that was rolling through the clouds they were met by more than a dozen heavily armed guards who took Loki away, the grin on his face never faltered as he was flanked and marched into the base.

They all gathered around a large table to listen to Fury speak to Loki, whose keen mind and eyes were keeping Fury on his toes with ease. Sherlock couldn't help but want to interrogate this ma-God whatever further, he was posing as much of an interest to Sherlock as Moriarty had, though who was more unstable Sherlock had yet to discover.

Rogers asked Thor to get them up to speed, an army from outer space. This was getting even more incredulous as the days wore on. Only a few days ago Sherlock had felt secure in his knowledge of things, science, not myth and magic, was his passion and he knew that the latter did not exist. Now he was forced to confront something that frightened him greatly, they were not alone in the universe and magic surely did exist. And they were at war with a force they could not hope to subdue, a force far greater and advanced than they were.

Stark entered with an air of cool confidence and started reeling things off about Thermonuclear Astrophysics.

"Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"No, you're not and I quite agree Stark." Sherlock sighed, hating to have to admit it.

"Take notes America, Britain is pulling ahead!" Stark clapped before he and Banner started discussing things, Sherlock got the feeling he was purposefully using the Physics terminology to throw everyone off and enjoyed that he seemed to be the only one capable of understanding them.

Fury entered and told them both to get started in the lab, Stark turned round and motioned to Sherlock. "Shall we play Doctor, Detective, you too." Sherlock sighed once more and got up, he really was at a loss right now as to what was going on.

Sherlock watched on as the two men worked, occasionally pointing out things they had missed, he was no scientist but his brain was unparalleled in most fields so he was able to contribute easily. For the most part he kept quiet, watching the two men and how they moved, how they worked. He wanted to know what Banner was hiding desperately.

He watched as Stark prodded Banner with something electrified, his eyes narrowing on the two's reactions when Rogers walked in.

"Hey! Are you nuts!"

"Jury's out." He turned back to Banner. "You really have got a lid on it haven't you, what's your secret?"

"Is everything a joke to you?" Rogers voice betrayed his calm demeanour, _he's frightened, everyone but Stark is terrified of Banner!_

"Funny things are."

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny, no offence doc."

"It's alright," Banner stuttered, "I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." His eyes flicked back to Stark, amusement on his face clear.

Before Stark and Rogers could start arguing Sherlock stepped in.

"I may seem to you like a useless commodity, but I was brought here for a reason, now you need me, so will someone please tell me what is actually going on?" He stared the men down and Banner looked away.

"I actually find you useful princess." Said Stark, grinning. "Dr Banner here was in an accident whilst experimenting, trying to find out how to create what turned our Capsicle here into 'Mr Super Soldier', it went wrong and he was exposed to a large amount of radiation, instead of dying he just got anger management issues."

Sherlock raised his eyes at Banner, hope for a less sarcastic and cryptic explanation.

"When I get angry I turn into a monster."

"Like, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?!" Sherlock bit his tongue before he scoffed; he really had to stop doing that.

"Except he turns green." Stark chimed in. "Here I'll show you." He wandered over to a clear screen hanging down and tapped it before flicking things left and right with his fingers. Videos opened up on all different screens.

There was Agent Romanov fighting ('Codename Black Widow' Stark mused), Stark beating people to a pulp ('That's me! Iron Man'), Captain Rogers defending civilians ('Captain America' Stark teased to Rogers who pursed his lips and folded his arms), a man that looked like the man in the files Romanov had been mooning over shooting people with arrows in quick succession ('That's Agent Barton, aka Hawkeye, captured by Loki' Said Stark) and then there was something that made Sherlock stagger back in shock. There on the last screen was a gigantic green creature smashing its way through the streets and being shot at, all the bullets glancing off its thick hide.

"You become that!" Sherlock leant back against a table as his mind went beserk.

"Not the most flattering video but yes." Banner replied heavily.

"That is The Hulk! Look they even have you!" Stark cried gleefully before thrusting a screen into Sherlock's face, there were he and John, rushing after criminals and even videos of them outside the flat or conversing with Lestrade. "You don't have a cool nickname though, you need one!"

"What is this?" Sherlock gasped as he regained his composure.

"The Avengers Initiative, a project to find the beings in the world most capable of saving the day and bringing them together when the world is under threat."

"But you're all here because you have super strength or can fly or transform. And I-"

"You're the most brilliant mind in Europe and probably the world Mr Holmes." Rogers answered.

"I don't think…" Normally Sherlock would enjoy having his ego rubbed, but this was all getting too much for his 'brilliant' mind to handle.

"You should be incredibly useful to us Mr Holmes as I know Fury is hiding something from us." He argued with Rogers before carrying on. They then both looked to Banner.

"A warm light for all mankind, Loki's jab at Fury about the cube, I think that was meant for you." He pointed at Stark. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."

"Stark tower? That big ugly…" Stark threw Rogers an annoyed look. "Building in New York."

Stark looked over to Sherlock before throwing another image up on the screen, this time of a giant building, at least three times the size of London's biggest, with his name plastered on it in glowing letters. He tried to hide his contempt and nodded to Stark.

"Its powered by an Arc Reactor, a self sustaining energy source." Sherlock had to remind himself that yes, they do exist before he scoffed and let Banner continue talking. Stark and Rogers had to bounce off each other a few more times after Stark mentioned that he had been hacking SHIELD's database, before they got to the point, which Sherlock had already concluded, but let them say anyway.

Steve left them too it after Sherlock had to hold himself back from agreeing with Stark about his outfit and they started discussing Loki's plans, before Stark brought Banner's ailment back into question. Sherlock leant against the table, his hands together on his chin and left them to it, his mind working at dizzying speeds over the information he had just been given.

Without a word he got up and left them to it, he needed to go and speak to Loki, he needed to find out why he had let them capture him, he left the two men and whisked himself down the corridors until he found the holding area.

Loki was standing in the middle of the glass cage with his hands behind his back and arrogance coming off him in waves.

"Detective, I wondered when you would visit me; I knew you couldn't resist me." He drew back his lips in a grin that was almost a snarl and Sherlock narrowed his eyes.

"You were right."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"What you said, about if I truly believed in the good guys winning. I don't believe in heroes, I certainly don't believe in super heroes and I don't believe in villains. I believe in purpose, everyone does something for a reason, for their own reasons, people can pass it off as wanting to do it for the people and for others but it all comes down to them in the end. There is no good or bad, only different motives."

Loki stepped forwards and looked at Sherlock with piercing eyes. "And you want to know my purpose? My motive?"

"It would be a huge help, you are feigning your power right now. There is no way that you could be captured this easily."

"You could be right." He stepped right up to the glass now, he was only slightly taller than Sherlock, but much more imposing, he narrowed his eyes as he searched Sherlock's face. "So if you don't believe in heroes and villains, why are you here?"

"Boredom."

"Boredom?"

"Yes, I was bored, I needed something to do and this opportunity presented itself to me."

"Do you not mean you were dragged her against your will?"

Sherlock thinned his lips, hoping Loki hadn't noticed, but of course he had. Sherlock wondered just how perceptive this man was compared to him. "It started that way, but once I got on board I knew this was exactly where I needed to be to quell my boredom."

"How does a man who believes in science come to terms with gods?"

"With great difficulty actually, though you're doing a good job of convincing me between yourself and your brother. He has got this whole god thing really working for him. You on the other hand are more like a very bored teenager."

Loki's eyes darkened for a split second, barely noticeable but Sherlock saw it. "I suppose by our almost immortal standards that is exactly what I am."

"Why do you want to take over the world? Out of all the galaxies you chose ours? I knew tourism was good here but surely someone as intelligent as yourself can hold no interest in such a tiny, weak planet. A man of your calibre really should have higher standards."

Loki turned away from him and Sherlock knew he had found something. After a short pause he turned back to Sherlock.

"Boredom." His eyes lit up as he watched Sherlock, he stared him down and Sherlock watched the cool blue eyes turn maniacal. Mycroft was right; this was a whole other level to Moriarty.

"So you really do want to take over the world?" Sherlock's voice stayed the same but his facial expression changed, he knew he was at the wrong angle for the cameras to pick it up so could use it to convey what he really wanted to say, he let it betray his thoughts. _I know what your plan is, I know why you came to Earth._

Loki's eyes widened and he stepped back from the glass before regaining himself. He flashed the detective a grin, he realised that though Sherlock had figured it out he wasn't going to say anything. What a curious man.

"Yes, I want to rule over Midgard and I would really like to see a mere mortal as yourself try to stop me Detective." He sneered at Sherlock, trying to figure him out.

"Thank you for being honest with me, God of Mischief, until we meet again." Sherlock turned away from him, but risked a look back over his shoulder at the grinning god. "The game is on!" He shouted as he swept from the holding area.


End file.
